


Hellfire Waters

by MiradoAzul



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Guns, Harpoon warning, Junkfish, Kidnapping, M/M, Yikes, comforting the junkfish, disgusting amounts of sweet romance, fisherman!roadhog, it's not that bad, its alot of fluff, mentions of branding, mermaid au, slightly graphic depictions of torture?, some bonding time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-11 02:11:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7871707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiradoAzul/pseuds/MiradoAzul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The man brought his hand closer, as if to subdue him. Jamie's mouth snapped down, every single serrated tooth cutting into his hand. The man jerked back but he didn't let him go.<br/>"Alright you little fuck. Let's get one thing straight here,"</p><p>Junkfish AU for my own pleasure really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Anxious Little Fish

There really was no warning when he’d gotten caught in the huge typhoon. 

What started as a calm, serene day, ended with Jamie tumbling tail over head in wave after crashing wave. He remembered everyone else warning him about getting too close to the surface because of the impending storm. Jamie, of course, hadn’t listened. He never did. Even today he regrets not letting their words through. The lake he had been trapped in for years had all kinds of icky creatures he had never met when in his previous home. 

The water was thicker, more hard for him to breathe in. He got used to it, though. He had to, because there really was no way out. There was never anyone coming to fish in this lake, he supposed that was a good thing. The humans were all hateful to his food source. He had the whole lake to himself, not having to worry about anything really. 

At least, there never was before today. 

Jamie poked his head just barely above the calm churning of the lake at the sound of a truck. His ears, wavy and pointed out, wiggled at the noise. He sneered. What was a fisherman doing out here? They had never bothered to come up to this lake before. He watched as more trucks drive up the gravel road. A moving truck? He swims to the other side, to where he could see the top of the small crested hill. Sure enough, they were going to the house that sat up there. 

He had figured that there was no way that house even liveable, guess he was wrong. 

So he waited. He waited for about a week before he began to grow impatient. Why buy a lake house and not visit the lake? It’s not like he was eager for company or anything like that no. He was just curious. That’s all. Yeah. 

He perked up at the sound of tires on gravel once again. He hugged to corner of a jagged rock, peeking around. He spots a truck with a boat on the back. It wasn’t a huge boat, no bigger than the other fishing boats he had seen before. He waited as he saw the man get out of the old truck. Jamie noted he didn’t really seem like a truck kinda guy, but then again, you can’t really pull a boat with anything else. 

When the boat finally hit the water, the man tied it to the dock. Jamie groaned when he got back in and drove up the mountainous road once more. When would he come down for good? A few more days passed and Jamie got tired of waiting. He was eating less fish, in hopes of the man actually coming to fish. Jamie didn’t even know if he was here for the fish. Why else live by a lake? There were plenty of salmon here, bass, fish that should have drawn a huge crowd. He just didn’t understand why there was no one here. He didn’t understand why no one ever came. He was too caught up in his inner seething to hear the engine of the boat start. The man must have walked down this time, as Jamie hadn’t heard the engine of the truck. He skittered away from the surface, swimming down to the bed in a panic. He may have been eager to find more out about the man, but fear takes precidence for his kind. If he WAS here after the fish, then Jamie wasn't exactly in the best of situations. He could really only hope he isn’t caught and sold somewhere as a prize. He shivered at the thought. 

The boat never seemed to drift too far from the shore. The man was throwing nets down. So he WAS a fisherman. Jamie grins, knowing he had been right to assume. He allowed himself a closer look at the netting. It was twine, annoying texture. Jamie hated when the fishers used twine. It scratched at him. He was missing a few patches of scales from twine. He thumbed the net, pinching it before shrieking when another dropped close to him. He bolted out of there, drifting just close enough away to see. He could hear the man talking to someone on the phone. He sounded angry and it made Jamie more curious about him. He poked his head above the water once more. Hearing the man’s voice become more clear also meant he could hear his words. 

“I bought this place for a reason. My house. My land. No one else gets to be up here but me.” He hung up and turned toward Jamie, who ducked beneath the waves once more. 

So he had bought the land. The thought brought a bit of a safe feeling over Jamie as he swam back down to the cave he had made into his home. He would try again tomorrow to find out more about the man. Jamie curled up in some lake grass, closing his eyes to prepare for a bit of sleep. Yeah. He would introduce himself tomorrow. 

The lack of sleep made his eyes itch. It made his scales and skin tingle when he swam. He had never really missed any kind of sleep, but he had also never really had a reason to be so excited. Jamie drifted to the surface of the lake and rubbed at his eyes. He kept everything under his eyes under the water, just lurking on the surface. 

The man had yet to come down yet and for some reason that annoyed him. He reminded himself that the man didn't know he was there, so there was no point in growing anxious. He began to swim closer to the shore, closer to his boat. Jamie kept telling himself that this could very well be a bad idea. He didn't listen to his own words of wisdom, however. He swam up under the dock and looked at the underside of the boat. Letting himself get distracted, he drifted too close to one of the nets. Feeling it wind around his tail he panicked. The net began to tighten the longer he struggled. Sure he wanted to meet the man, but this is not how. He tugged as hard as he could to no avail and grew more panicked the more seconds passed. 

In no less than an hour he heard footsteps above him on the dock, heavy and powerful. One by one the nets were lifted from the water. When his was next he stayed perfectly still, thinking maybe the fisherman would just forget it was there. He's not luck, as his next was dragged up and he's put face to face with angry brown eyes and lips turned to a snarl. 

When the man registered what was happening, what Jamie was, he dropped the net on the deck of his boat. Jamie gasped in the air, making his gills flutter and his chest heave. He couldn't stand the air for long, needed the water for the majority of the time. He looked to the side of the boat and began to move. He had to get back in the water. The look of fear on his face must have registered to the man because he lifted the net and dumped it over the side. Jamie pulled the water in, breathing hard and fast. He was still trapped in the net, however. He knew it wouldn’t have been so easy for him to escape. His mind went a thousand miles a minute wondering what was going to happen to him. 

The net was being pulled up again, leaving Jamie with little time to actually think. He pressed his hands to the sides of the net and bared his teeth with a hiss. As he came to his senses a bit more he snapped his jaws, every spine and fin on his body standing rigid with threat. The man brought his hand closer, as if to subdue him. His mouth snapped down, every single serrated tooth cutting into his man's. The hand jerked back but he didn't let him go. 

"Alright you little fuck. Let's get one thing straight here," Jamie stared with bloodied teeth formed in a hiss and wide eyes. He didn't say a word. "I'm not gonna do anything to you, so just calm down," his words did little to calm Jamie down, but he closed his lips. 

"Why not let me go then?" He felt a little better when the man relaxed, letting the net lower back into the water. 

"You're not getting away, though. I'm not gonna hurt you, but there's no way in hell I'm stupid enough to let you go," The man's voice is deep, gravelly and it makes Jamie want to do flips and hide somewhere at the same time. 

"You're not gonna let me go? Why the hell not?" He hissed again, snapping his jaws in an anxious mock of anger. His heart was beating too fast for him to be any sort of threat. The man just let out a bellowed laugh and shook his head. He didn't give Jamie any sort of answer as he dropped him back in the water. He waited for any other movement before trying to tear at the rope. Twine. He cursed and rubbed at his mouth. He waited, sinking against the net and wondering what was going to happen to him. 

What would the man want with him?


	2. Angry Little Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As trust grows from Jamie's side, someone from his past shows up, not sitting right with him.

The next day hadn't fared much better for Jamie as the one before. The man had yanked him in the net, most likely to check if he was still there. He never wanted to see the satisfied smirk on the man's face again. It had made dread leak all the way from the tip of his scalp to the very tip of his tail. The man had asked if he had a name, in which Jamie had just snapped his teeth in a vicious snarl. He hadn't liked that and dropped Jamie back into the water.

He waited for what seemed like hours until the footsteps were heard above him again. He wasn't pulled up this time, however. A bag was dropped into the opening at the top of the net and Jamie had initially tried to get away from it until he smelled it. Oysters? He opened the bag and rooted around a bit, pulling a shelled creature out. Oysters. Jamie wasted no time in tearing into the bag to eat. These had been his favorite to eat before, everything about them was delicious to him. His friends had always used to chastise him about eating them, telling him they were gross and that he shouldn’t like them. He never listened, of course. He never listened to a lot of boring shit they said.

More time passed and he ended up falling asleep after a few hours. He guessed it was because he hadn't slept the night before. He was woken up by the net shifting. His hands immediately flew to the sides, gripping them tightly and ignoring the scratch of the twine. Jamie tried his best to look somewhat vicious in his slight disorientation.

"Quit with the weird look. Still not gonna hurt you," Came the tired voice of the man. Jamie paused, if only for a moment. He was confused as to why the man sounded so exhausted. How long had Jamie slept? He looked up at the sky, the sun just barely rising over the hills. Ah. He had ended up sleeping through the night. He didn’t answer the man, just continued to glare. "Alright. We are going to do this my way now," Jamie let out a shrill screech at the sight of a huge hook in the man's other hand. He panicked, trying his best to rip through the net. "Whoa! Chill out!" Harsh words broke through his panic.

"No! You're gonna hang me up and string my bits on the fuckin' walls!" Jamie shouted, his voice shrill, terrified. At his words the man let out another low, booming laugh. His lips curled up into that sickening grin again and Jamie's blood went cold. His eyes widened to the size of saucers. A sick, wheezing sound made its way through his lips from being out of the water. His gills pulsed on his neck. He looked down to the water and the man thankfully lowered him.

"You're a funny little fish. Maybe I should rip you up a little, just because you've given me the idea," Jamie shook his head in a feverish way.

"No. Don't touch me," he snarled and snapped his jaws at him. It only earned him another laugh. Jamie was getting more angry by the second. He wanted to rip the human apart piece by infuriating piece. The man lifted him from the water once again, the hook now resting on the dock by his foot. Jamie actually doubted he was going to use it on him now, despite the icky feeling in his gut.

"I won't need to do anything to you if you'll just fucking cooperate with me," Jamie snorted in amusement. Why would he ever comply with anything a human wanted? "Now. Again, you got a name?" Jamie stared at him, a look of disbelief in his golden eyes. He may as well give in, seeing as he how would be stuck with the man.

"Jamie," he muttered, picking at the shimmering scales on his tail. The patches of missing scales glared back at him, ugly and pink to contrast with the yellow. The man made a noise, as if he couldn't actually believe he got an answer.  
"Alright. Now that wasn't so hard was it little fish?" Jamie grimaced at what seemed like a nickname from how often he used it as of recent.

"Y'know it's common courtesy to not be a ragin' knob and give your own name," Jamie looked up from his tail, eyebrow raised as if to dare the man. He didn't really know what he expected, to be honest. He definitely didn't expect to be answered.

"Mako," The man, Mako, rumbled out. Jamie tested the name in his head. It was different than any normal name he had heard, so he figured Mako had to be from somewhere other than here. Before he could say anything else he's lowered down into the water once more. He almost wanted to protest, mentally yelling at himself that was a stupid thing to do. The footsteps thudded away from the dock and he was alone once again. Jamie guessed it was a good thing he was alone, it gave him time to reflect on exactly what had just happened.

Days turned into weeks of being trapped in that net and he was starting to get cramps in his tail. He wanted to swim again, he wanted to be able to actually move. The more Jamie thought about the freedom he longed for, the more it seemed almost unreachable.

That was, until Mako sliced the net open with a knife one morning, very much to Jamie's shock and surprise.

"You look worse than you usually do. I assumed it was because you couldn't move much," Mako told him. Jamie nodded, finding himself sticking around the docks still. He didn't really know how to explain to himself why, or what he was even doing. He made trips back and forth, coming to get the oysters that Mako would bring him. He would take shells back to his home, collecting them in the air pocket of the cave.

One morning he swam up to the dock to find Mako missing. Jamie frowned, as it had really become a norm to get snacks in the morning from the human. He swam around the lake to find a spot where he could see the house on the hill. He spotted a car he had never seen before in the drive. Trepidation began to take hold of his mind, heartbeat picking up. Had the human sold him out after all? He could barely hear the yelling of two people, one the voice he had heard for weeks. Mako sounded furious, making Jamie a bit more calm. The other voice had an accent he decided he didn't like. He had heard the accent before when his kind had migrated in the winter. It was an accent he hated hearing, as it as tied to a lot of pain from his past. A particularly big chunk of scales missing on his tail he could account to a man with the same Spanish accent.

The car door slammed shut after few words from Mako. Jamie stayed above the water, watching it head down the hill and past the lake.

His blood froze and his heart stopped when he saw the driver. Dark skin and the most hateful look he had ever seen was glaring back at him. The same look he had seen so many years ago. The evil human pointed to Jamie, making him want to dive below and never come up again. He would be back, Jamie was sure of that.

The only question he had was what would Mako do about it? It was clear he didn't want the other man on the property, so Jamie held hope he would be safe. There was still a lingering fear in his mind, however. If that monster had tracked him all the way here he would stop at nothing.

Jamie only hoped he could actually trust Mako

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really eager to get the second chapter out as soon as I could. The third might be a few days, as I have a busy weekend, but I will get it out ASAP! Thank you for those you stick around to read it! I am really enjoying writing it.


	3. Trusting Little Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie spills what happened between him and Gabe.

Jamie wasn’t proud to say he had spent a day or two lingering below the surface. He didn’t really mean to avoid coming up, he just hadn’t felt up to it. The sickening feeling that was making his chest tight just wouldn’t go away. He had swam the length of the lake ten times over while listening to the hum of Mako'a boat. It was the first time he had done any actual fishing since he bought the property. Jamie didn’t really know why, but he did intend to ask eventually. 

He wasn’t sure how eventually turned into a day later. He hadn’t planned to sleep the whole day, it just sort of happened, but he did feel better. It was a sort of win in his mind. 

“Oi,” He called out, catching the big man’s attention. Mako just grunted. He barely acknowledged him. “How come this is the first time ya brought the boaty out for a float?” It wasn’t a big boat, just barely big enough for the man. He was met with silence for a moment or two before Mako spoke up. 

“Had to finish unpacking. You’ve been gone week. What’s the deal?” The question sort of caught him off guard, making him stammer and stutter an excuse as to why he hadn’t surfaced. He couldn’t think of one and instead just shrugged. Mako didn’t push, much to Jamie’s relief. 

The test of the time was quiet, uncharacteristically so for Jamie. He was sure even Mako noticed how silent he was, but he just didn’t have anything on his mind. Every once in a while he would dive and bring Mako some of the lower dwelling fish. In return, the fisherman would throw some of the smaller fish out for Jamie to munch on. It was nice, honestly. He had almost forgotten about the day that guy showed up. 

“He’s not gonna be back,” Until then, at least. 

Jamie looked up, raising an eyebrow high. 

“Whadaya mean?” He pretended not to know, just wanted to forget he had ever seen him in the first place. Mako seemed to catch on almost immediately. He let out a low, quick laugh. Jamie frowned.

“If you don’t wanna talk about it, I won’t make you. It was pretty obvious ya knew the guy, though,” Jamie heaved a sigh, shrugging again.

“And just how do ya think ya know somethin’ like that?” He was curious. Had Mako been watching him? Had he been waiting for him? 

“You let me enjoy my silence for an entire week,” came the answer. Jamie rolled his eyes and pulled himself up on the side of the boat. His answer really didn’t surprise Jamie. He had grown to expect smart ass remarks from the man. 

“Alright, yeah. I knew ‘im. I’ll tell ya what happened when your done,” He promised, falling back into the water and lazing around on his back. 

Mako finished earlier than he usually did. Jamie figured it was because he was curious to hear the story, but he wouldn’t let himself get too caught on the idea. The fisherman stepped onto the dock and tied the boat up. Jamie pushed himself up and let his lower half rest in the water. He could tell Mako was ready to listen, from the look on his face. Jamie sighed. “Alrighty, where t'begin…” He tapped his chin dramatically, making Mako snort in amusement. Jamie just smiled. “Well, I was real young, for starters. Me mum and pop decided it was high time we migrated with the rest of 'em. It must'a been a different time than they us'lly went, because there was a hunter 'round every corner a’ the kelp. Got separated from me parents and that was about the time I had the unfortunate pleasure a’ meetin’ ol’ Reyes,” He paused, judging Mako’s reaction on if he should continue. He wasn’t told to shut up, so he took it as a good time to keep going. “I’ll spare ya the gore-y details and all but that drongo took me and strung me up. Kept me just livin’ on the brink for weeks. Eventually he let me go, but eh, I couldn’ get away with jus’ leavin’ I guess,” He turned and tilted his head down. 

“He branded you,” Mako seemed to be lost for words. Jamie just nodded. He still remembered the sting of the molten metal. 

“He didn’t want his best catch gettin’ away forever,” He knew his voice was getting shaky. He couldn’t really help how it was affecting him. “Figured I was safe, comin’ here,” He stared at the sky, loving the way the blues faded into red and violets. The sky was always somehting he had loved. He guessed that was why he always longed to be above the surface. He hated the way the ocean was all just one boring hue. "The hurricane carried me here. The river feeds into the lake. It comes from the ocean, which is why I can breathe in this water, annoying as it is," Mako just nodded, looking toward the river.

"Well, just know he isn't coming back," Mako turned and began heading back up the dock. He looked back once at Jamie, who just stared. He hadn't even told his parents what Reyes had done to him and yet here he was, spilling his goddamn life story to a man he had met nearly a month ago. A month. It had been almost a month already? Jamie shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and maybe get himself thinking clearly again.

"Damn humans," he growled to himself and dove beneath the surface. "Stop gettin' in my head,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I had a lot to take care of over the weekend!


	4. Sinking Little Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That sick sweet feeling isn't one Jamie is fond of.

From the way his inner voice screamed at him, Jamie thought he'd be swimming to his death or something. 

He looked down at the shining object in his hand, mulling over how he thought the situation would go. He would give Mako his gift and maybe he would reject it or maybe he'd keep it. Jamie breached the water still giving himself enough anxiety to have the shakes. Ugh. Why did he let himself get affected like this? It was early, still too early for the sun to be over the hills. It was early enough that he could still see the stars in the half night sky. What the HELL was he doing up? Why had he convinced himself this was a good idea? 

"Not a good idea, bad idea," he muttered to himself, trying to somehow convince himself to just swim back down under the calm waters. Come on! He clicked his teeth together in a nervous panic. What do you think is going to happen? Jamie sunk a bit more, his heartbeat thrumming hard and quick in his ears. You're a monster. He wanted to yell at himself, to shout about how bad an idea this was. He's keeping you here for a reason. He repeated to himself, the words echoing over and over in his ears like they had actually been spoken. Had he actually said them out loud? 

Jamie opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. He had spent a good bit of time arguing with himself. The very edge of the sun was peeking over the hill. The roof of Mako's house is the only thing he can see between the trees. It got his heartbeat going again, making him look down at the object in his hands. He had spent days making it, the bristles on it taken from shit he had found at the bottom of the lake. The handle was made of silver. It was his hoard in his cave. He had brought so much silver and other treasures from his old home. He shaped it and carved at it with his nails until it looked like a hook. It wasn't nearly as sharp as the fishing hooks Mako used, but it was shaped like one. Jamie loved it. He was so proud of how it looked. It shone like brand new. 

He really hoped Mako liked it. 

He didn’t have much more time to talk himself out of the gift, as he heard Mako’s heavy steps on the dock. He nearly squeaked in surprise, further hating himself for his stupid, dumb, idiotic, icky feelings. He sneered at himself, fighting the sudden urge to dive and never come up. 

“Oi, what’s your problem?” The boom of Mako’s voice made him jump, hiding the hook-shaped brush behind him under the water. He shrugged, clicking his sharp teeth together nervously. 

“Nothin’. Why d'ya think somethin’s my problem?” He grumbled, sounding way more harsh than he intended to. If Mako noticed, he didn’t say anything which only made Jamie feel worse. They were silent then, the only sounds were the surprisingly gentle hum of the motor and the splash of Mako’s hook on the water. Jamie swam around the boat in a chaotic fashion. His handmade gift was held tightly in his hands. Every time he felt as though he was ready to present it, he lost the courage to and hated himself more each time. 

"You're really starting to get on my nerves, Jamie," Mako announced after about ten minutes. It made Jamie jumped, nearly letting go of the object in his hands. 

"Sorry mate, just got a lotta' shit on me mind I guess," he felt like he was tumbling over his words, he felt sick. It was easy to decide he hated this feeling and wanted it to go away. 

"Look, if it’s about Reyes I already told you-" Jamie shot his arms up out of the water, the silver brush shining beautifully in the dull sunlight. Mako was silent for a beat and a half and it only made the icky feeling in his gut worse. He was about to ask him what the deal was when he felt a calloused hand brush his. "What's this?" Mako was looking down at him then, making Jamie want to shrink under his gaze. 

"It's a.. uh.." He paused, clicking his teeth. "It's a brush, y'know, for ya hair?" He stared up. A part of him wanted Mako to throw the brush back at him, to prove that these gross flutters of his inhuman heart were all in his idiot head. He wanted to feel the pain of a rejection and hoped it would clear his thoughts. Instead, he heard a snort of a laugh and his stomach dropped. 

"This is actually really cool. Did you make this yourself?" Jamie nodded. Somehow the words felt like they wouldn’t get through his lips if he had spoken any. "I like it," was the last thing Mako said to him. Jamie almost felt like flying, but at the same time he wanted to sink to the bottom and scold himself forever. It gave him a sense of hope. It made him think that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to fall in love with a human. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad if he ended up on the wall of this guy. Jamie threw out all rational thought and he just kept telling himself: Maybe you have a chance. 

"I'll be back down later, gotta put this in a safe place so I don't lose it," Mako started his boat once more and left Jamie to stew in his own little puddle of joy and heavy guilt. What would his parents, his family say if they saw how he was acting right now? What would they do to him? 

As his eyes follows the boat back to shore he smiled, deciding that he didn’t really care about all that. He could live with this. He could live with being in love with a human. He didn't really know why, but he knew it wouldn't be bad forever. 

"I love 'im," Jamie muttered to himself, sinking under the water to let out a shrill shriek. The fish scattered around him and he just laughed. All alone out in the lake he laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes, I can't say how sorry I am that I let this story get away from me. I've been dealing with a lot in life lately, but hopefully I can get back to writing soon!


	5. Stolen Little Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie gets himself into trouble.

As promised, a couple hours after Jamie had done the deed, Mako returned to the water. The little saltwater creature had taken solace in the fact that Mako's hair looked a bit more shiny than usual.

"Alright, so how's the catch looking today, fish?" Mako looked down at Jamie, who's mind went blank. Dammit Jamison, get ahold of yourself. He blinked for a moment. 

"Uh.. I think there's a couple'a trout? Maybe some sturgeon?" Jamie, regardless of being the creature he WAS, hadn't ever really bothered to learn about the other things in the waters like him. Mako rolled his eyes and Jamie felt a sense of normality fall over them.

"Empty-headed as usual. Guess I'll just have to find out for myself then," The silence that settles over them makes Jamie more comfortable than he's felt in a couple days. He missed the lazy heat of the sun and the soft hum of Mako's dumb boat. He felt so safe and so at home, like he really belonged here. Jamie didn't catch Mako staring at him as he floated in the water next to the man's boat. With his clawed hands behind his head, his slim tail pushed in the water slowly. 

"Your colors are different," Jamie splashed into the water in surprise. His skin burned a sickly orange color. 

"What the hell d'ya mean ya goon?" He grumbled, sinking down. "Ain't nothin' on me changed a bit," his tone was defensive and Mako only laughed at him.

"You're different. Your tail used to be a gross yellow color but now it's more orange," Why did he have to notice? Jamie groaned, clicking his teeth. He didn't have to say anything, did he? Couldn't he just make an excuse? Maybe he could tell Mako he's sick or something. Yeah, that would work.

"Oh. That. Yeah. That's just somethin' that happens durin' times," He mentally slapped himself. What the fuck was that? He cringed when Mako laughed again.

"You're a freaky little thing. Whatever you say, Jamie," He sighed, taking the rest of his silence as an end to the conversation. He knew why his colors looked brighter, more vibrant. He knew why he had begun to glow at night, why there were new spots on his skin that reflected more light than usual. 

It was because he had fallen in love with something, with someone.

His mum had always told him about her spots when he asked. She would tell him how his dad had caused them. His dad used to tell him the story of how they met over and over, how it's a biological thing. They had both repeated over and over that he would find a pretty girl and the same would happen to him. It was something in his DNA, something that was supposed to happen with another of his species. Obviously, it never did. Jamie had always wondered why that was, but it wasn't until he started feeling gross around Mako that he figured it out.

He was meant to fall for this dumb, loud, smelly human. 

And he wouldn't give that up for anything.

Jamie is shaken from his thoughts by the engine of Mako's boat being started back up. He looked up and was shocked to find the man staring down at him already.

"What? Do I got somethin' on my face or somethin'?" His eyebrows drew together in concern. Mako shook his head.

"Nah, just spotting the differences," Jamie dug his nails into his palms, his heart almost paid fully squeezing and skipping. Mako grins and turns his boat. "See you in the morning, Little Fish," 

Once he's gone Jamie lets out a huge breath, wishing he could dance with how much energy he had in his body. Instead he just floated, watching the moon rise in the sky. His heart fanned and skipped beats every other second it seemed. The longer he thought about it, the brighter he began to glow. He hated himself for it, God he was such a sap.

He floated on the surface of the lake for a few hours before being startled by a noise. He moved himself upright, hiding a bit deeper and away from the edge. After listening to the noise for a few seconds he realized what it was. Headlight beams shined into his eyes before he could look away. He hissed, the blinding light making his eyes sting. He thrashed a bit in the water before sinking underneath. 

Even under the water he was able to hear the opening of doors. The crunch of gravel was muffled but still so threatening. Once Jamie was able to see a bit he dove deeper into the water. He knew who it was. He knew why they were here. He knew he couldn't stay out of his sight for long. Jamie pushed himself faster under the water. He just needed to get to his cave. Maybe he could hide there until Mako noticed the car.

He wasn't able to make it that far. As soon as he got the sights of his home a sharp pain erupted in his tail. He cried out in sheer agony, turning and looking with blurred vision. A long harpoon like spear was protruding from his tail, right below the bend. The rope that was attached to it began to pull and Jamie couldn't even find the strength to fight against it. The pain was so overwhelming.

When he broke the surface of the water hands grabbed him. He had come prepared this time. Chains circled his wrists, pinning his thin fins down against his scaly skin. He let out a piercing shriek, hoping it would be enough. Something vile and bitter was tied in and around his mouth. He was yanked onto the dirt of the bank, heavy footsteps making their way to him. 

"Thought you could get away from me, you slippery little demon?" The voice sent a wave of shivers down his back. The laugh made his stomach lurch and his skin crawl. "Glad to have you back in my ownership, Fawkes," Jamie glared up at him.

"Ya won't have me for long ya creep. Now I got someone t'look out for me," He snapped his teeth at him, a shrill screech coming from him.

"Sure. Get him into the van. Lock the lid," The Harpoon was yanked from his tail. Jamie screamed. His vision began to dot once more.

 The last thing he could get a clear picture of was a light coming on in the house at the top of the hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh. I suck. There's a lot that's happened in these two months, my boyfriend and I moved, so we've been settling in and such. We're on vacation in Oregon right now, but I had to get this done with a sudden urge to write!
> 
> I'm so sorry about how long it took, I hope everyone is still sticking with me, because there's still a lot to this story!!


	6. Broken Little Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie can't give up

It was well into the night by the time Jamie had woken. A rather painful jerk of the van he had been taken in was what woke him. His shoulder hit the top of the metal and glass box he was locked in. It jarred his tail when he moved and it made him howl in pain.

“Someone shut him up. I don’t want to hear another noise from him until we get back,” The voice was angry, the Spanish quick from his lips like knives. It just made Jamie want to give up. He couldn’t, though. He had hope and he knew his hope would get him through whatever this sick bastard had planned for him.

Hands grabbed at him and he tried to jerk away. It only made the pain shoot up his tail and spine once more. The water was starting to turn a murky brown from the blood seeping from the still healing wound. His eyes got blurry again. He didn’t want to pass out, he really didn’t want to think about what he might wake up to.

“Sweet dreams, ya freak,” A sharp needle stabbed his arm and he could only cry out a second before he starts feeling dizzy. Unconsciousness followed it quickly.

Reyes looked in the rear mirror so he could get a good glance at him. His lips curled up into a smirk.

“It’s about time I found him. Didn’t think he’d be so slippery. In a manner of speaking.” A gentle snicker arose from the passenger side. Violet hair and deep skin to match. The woman, Widowmaker, as she was called, stared at the bounty paper.

“So you will be selling him to the highest bid, no?” She laid her head in her palm, watching the greed-driven man. He shook his head and looked back once more at the fish.

“Oh no. He won’t be sold. I’m keeping him. He’s the only one of his kind I’ve found with those special stripes. And now that those spots have finally showed up, he’s even more rare.” Gabriel slowed down a bit, turning down a dusty road to find an old, almost broken down building.

“So, what do you plan to do with him?” She was growing curious. If he didn’t plan on selling the creature, what would he do with him? The grin that parted Gabe’s face almost made her stomach churn.

“There’s a lot. I don’t want to bore you with the gore,” He chuckled. “But oh, there is a lot I’m going to do,” He kicked his door open and stepped around to the back doors. “Get him out. Just get him down into the lab and leave,” Reyes got back into the van, waiting for them to take the fish out and leave him in the building.

“Well, good luck with that thing,” Amelie laughed, thinking him crazy for what he had planned for that poor creature.

Jamie woke sometime later. He wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed, or where he had ended up. The only light emanating from the room was from a small lamp in the far corner. His wrists were chained to a wall. A cuff was also linked around the end of his tail. He took note of the careful bandage work on the wound from the harpoon. Because his body had been under great stress he couldn’t heal very fast or very efficiently. It was just like the first time all over again.

"I know ya can hear me ya fuckin' ghoul!" He shouted, his arms jerking the chains. A shock ran through his body, making him go limp. Reyes' voice came over the intercom then.

"Don't say a word, _criatura_ ," Jamie cringed and let his muscles lax so his arms would stop aching.

"What the hell could ya possibly want from me, Reyes?" He tried again, only to be shocked once more. He gritted his teeth to hold in the pained noises building up.

"I said not a fucking word," The voice hissed right back at him. Jamie slouched. He looked all around the room, scrutinizing every last corner before giving up. He couldn’t see a single thing, save for that little lamp in the very corner of the room.

He didn’t know how many times he had answered the same question for Reyes. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he turned the little lamp in the corner off. Jamie wanted to say it had been at least two hours. Two hours sitting in the dark answering the same question over and over. He must have been answering it wrong. But, maybe that was what Reyes wanted.

Jamie had never thought of a better definition for the word insanity.

His tail had gone numb from the constant pinpoint shocks to it. He was sure that if he ever got out there would be obvious scorch marks on his already damaged tail.

The more he answered the more angry Reyes grew. Jamie had gone from yelling and screaming his answer to just barely mumbling it. He was getting tired. His body was over exerting itself. He kept trying to heal an injury that wasn’t actually there and it was more draining than anything he had ever done.

"What are you?" The question again. Jamie didn't answer right away. What was he? He didn't fit in with his family, his own kind, yet he was so far away from anything else. Where did he stand? What could he call himself? Humans had their legs, lungs, what could he be? The silence stretched on for what seemed like hours, but Jamie knew it was really only a minute or two. He thought about the answer, thought about the question.

"I don't want to be anythin'," he finally answered. The quiet from Reyes scared him. "I just wanna be me," he continued. "An' I dunno what 'me' is," He stayed still, waiting for the shocks that would send him writhing. When they didn't come he prepared himself for something worse. Instead of something bad, the lamp in the corner turned back on. The flickering light almost hurt his eyes after so long in the dark.

"We'll begin again tomorrow," Was all Reyes said.

Jamie broke down when the chains released him. The murky water he had been left with was doing very little to help with his oxygen intake, as there wasn't much left in it. He could only hope that he would get more tomorrow, that Reyes would notice that he could come close to dying. He couldn’t help but think that was probably his plan after all.

"Please just tell me ya noticed, big guy," he curled in the corner of the too-small-tank and tried to close his eyes. Maybe some sleep would help. Maybe he could wake up from this horrible nightmare.

As the hours began to blur together, Jamie began to lose hope he would ever actually get out of this fucked up room. Reyes had taken to pulling off his scales one by one as he asked him more questions. Jamie had only grown numb to the pain. He took to thinking about his human, his fisherman, his Mako, instead. He found that the pain and the torture were a little more bearable when he told himself Mako would be able to find him. He just hoped there would be enough of him to bring home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got this one out pretty fast! I'm proud of myself.  
> As always, thank you everyone for your continued support and encouragement of my writing! Every little comment and every view to this just pushes me to write more!
> 
> Thank you all!!


	7. And He Scoured the Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako makes a daring rescue

The sound of various slamming noises stirred Mako from his sleep. It only took him a few seconds to realize what the sound was and when he did he bolted up out of bed. He had his shoes on in less than a minute and was out the door in two. It took about six turns of his key to finally get his shitty truck started, but the engine turned over into a start finally. Mako tore down the hill road as fast as he could without losing control. The water was calm, too calm. Fear took hold of his heart for a moment as he heard the engines of a few vehicles getting farther away.

He burned rubber trying to get to the mouth of the forest road before the vans were out of his sight. They were nowhere to be seen when he got there. Mako slammed his fists against the steering wheel.

  
"Fuck!" He cursed. He knew that asshole would come back. He told himself that he couldn't leave Jamie alone down there. He had even begun to dig a large pool to keep him in at night when Mako couldn't watch him. He felt like he had failed the little creature and he had to make it right. He had to find him.

Mako had gone right to packing things he'd need for days on the road. He knew where Reyes' facility was and he knew how to get there. The few essential things he knew he would need were thrown into a bag. He unlocked a cabinet and grabbed the pistol and rifle from the inside. He threw those in the bag as well and headed back out to his truck. He thought about taking his bike, but figured he wouldn't have anywhere to put Jamie when he got him back.

He would be bringing him back, bringing him home.

When the truck hit the pavement of actual road, Mako sped up as much as legally possible. He had at least a day's drive to the facility. He could really only hope that it was the right place. He hoped Reyes was stupid enough to take him there.

While he drove Mako began to think about the ugly little creature in his lake. He thought about the silver brush he had made sure to grab before he left. He pictured that dumb smile of his and the way his frilly ears moved back and forth when he got excited. Mako shook his head. He had originally thought it was Jamie's fault he was thinking non-stop about him, but after a few days Mako decided he was too ugly to be a siren.

It wasn't hard for him to decide he loved him. Mako had really only spent like an hour debating it before he came up with the conclusion. Jamie was loud, obnoxious, and smelly, but Mako couldn't really find a reason he couldn't love him. It's not like there was anyone out where he lived that could tell him it was wrong or anything like that, so he didn’t care.

  
He would tell Jamie as soon as he found him.

Hours worth of driving passed and Mako could tell he was getting tired. He fought the fatigue as much as he could, but he knew he'd have to find a place to pull off so he could at least get coffee. A few more minutes of driving and a sign told him there was a pull off about a mile ahead. He took the road and parked his truck at the gas station. He was standing at the counter to pay when he saw a familiar sight of deep, violet hair standing outside. He paid and left his cup on top of his truck.

"What the fuck did your boss do with him?" He growled as soon as he got close enough to her. Her head snapped up and her eyes widened. Mako was glad he still had that effect on people. Amelie, her name was. Mako knew who she was, even though he had only met her once.

"I don't know what you're talki-" Mako stepped closer to her, his eyes set in a deep glare.

"Cut the shit. I know Reyes took him and I'm going to get him back. So I suggest you tell me where that fuck took him before I add one more to my list," he spit out through clenched teeth. Recognition filtered through her gaze and she nodded.

"You're talking about Jamison, right?" Her voice was sharp, almost like she was nervous. "I don't want any of what Gabriel is doing to him. I don't think he really realizes what he's doing. They took him to the Blackwatch facility, but you didn't hear it from me," she got into her sleek black car quickly. Mako had all the information he needed and he was pissed.

It wasn't long before he was back on the road with his coffee in hand. It would take maybe 6 more hours before he got there. It was a place he remembers all too well. Reyes would pay for what he's done to Jamie, Mako would be sure of that.

When his tires hit dirt instead of road he knew he was close. He turned his truck off then, opting to walk instead so he didn't make too much noise. Blackwatch was a marine ocean watch facility, so he knew there wouldn't be too much trouble for him. For all they knew, he still worked here.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, Mako slipped in through a side entrance. It was a dark hallway, almost pitch black. Immediately he heard him. A sharp screech tore through the air. It made Mako's blood run cold and he headed as quickly as he could toward the sound. He slammed into the door the screaming was coming from and pointed the rifle.

"Reyes!" He shouted, his eyes opening as wide as saucers. Thousands of scales littered the floor around him. Mako heard the audible sob from Jamie and his heart ached for the creature. "What the fuck have you done to him?" He fingered the trigger of his gun, pointing it at Gabe. His hands raised as he cackled darkly.

"Mako, Hog, nice of you to join me and _cebo_ here," he jerked his head toward Jamie, who looked like he was barely holding on. Mako snarled, shoving the barrel against Gabe's chest.

  
"Shut the fuck up you god damned spook. Let him down now. I'm taking him and we are leaving," he snarled. Gabe just laughed.

"You'll have to shoot me first," was his reply. Mako snorted, as if that was any sort of second choice. He pointed to gun to Reyes' leg, pulling the trigger. The sound was loud enough to make Mako's ears ring. Gabe crumpled, holding his leg close. "You son of a bitch!" He wailed. Mako stepped over him and grabbed the keys from his belt. Once he had Jamie unlocked he scooped him up into his arms.

  
"Come on, just hold on a little while longer, yeah?" He held him close as he carried him out of the building and to his truck. He knew Jamie was staring at him the whole time.

"Ya came for me?" Jamie finally spoke once they were back on the road. Mako had draped a blanket over his tail and showed him the bag full of water bottles. He had scooped about 50 bottles of lake water before he left.

"Of course I did," Was all he answered. He could see Jamie's smile from the corner of his eyes. The rest of the car ride was silent. Mako was just relieved he was okay. He'd get that pool finished as soon as he could. He wouldn't let him out of sight again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God. Boy am I sorry for neglecting this! Believe it or not, I have wanted to do nothing but update this story and I just hit such a bad hole. I should be doing a little better now, which means at least two updates a month, but the story is coming to a close soon! I'm still not sure how i want the ending to go, though.
> 
> Thank you all so much for sticking with my ass for this long!!


	8. Loving this Little Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two dorks come to terms with how they feel and how they want the future to play out

It may have taken them months to build and Jamie may have had to sleep in the bathtub a few times, but it was all worth it. The pool was huge, not quite as big as the pond of course. Mako had limited space in his backyard anyway. Then time it had taken them was amazing to Jamie, though. He got so much time with the man, talking through the changes in their relationship, deciding where the two of them would stand. As it would happen, all of his worrying was for nothing because his pal Mako felt the same way. The relief he had felt when Mako had said the words 'stop freaking out I feel the same' felt like the force of an entire tsunami hitting at once. 

"How's it feel?" He jumped slightly, not expecting the mysteriously silent footsteps of the heavy man. Jamie turned and smiled wide up at him. He didn't miss the way Mako's eyes sort of sparkled in the already setting sun. 

"It feels exquisite, mate. Never felt safer," he stopped, fidgeting a little with his frills. Mako steps into the water from the steps at the mouth of the pool. Jamie pushed against the water and swam closer to him. He leaned up a little out of the water, hands resting on Mako's knee so he can lay his chin on them. "I was scared, Mako." He didn't really want to talk about it, but he knew he had to. "I figured you were glad to get rid'a me," by the scoff he heard from the other he could tell just how wrong he was to think something like that. He smiled a little and just relished in the beautiful silence, the perfect company, and the safety. 

"Why do your colors change?" Mako asked him suddenly. He tilted his head up to look up at the man. He honestly struggled a little to find the explanation. He didn't really feel like being overtly feelsy and disgusting. 

"Easy way t'say it is: It's a biological thing that happens when my heart gets goin; real fast," he muttered quickly, nearly under his breath. They had talked about this, about the mutual love between them, but Jamie had never really been one to talk about his feelings. He could definitely hear the grin in Mako's voice. He held back the groan. 

"So is that why you've got those nice pretty green dots all over? Because your heart is goin, real fast?" He snickered and Jamie had to bite back another groan. He took a hand out from under his chin to smack him in the thigh. Mako's thunderous laughter would have scared him, had he not been expecting it. He pushed off of the other to swim further away from him in the pool. The waster was a bit murky, only because it was from the lake, which is why it felt so good to Jamie. The filter somewhere was doing its job, pumping the water directly into the pool and cycling it back. Everything about this was perfect. He honestly couldn't ask for a better outcome to getting stuck in some stupid fucking lake. "You listening?" He turned, eyes focusing immediately to Mako. He nodded, signaling that he could go on. "I'm going to bring my t.v out here, maybe you'll learn some fucking manners somehow from watching it?" Jamie laughed and shook his head. 

"Ain't no manners to learn here you great oaf," he couldn’t help but flip him off with a grin. Mako turned then to head back into his house. That left Jamie mostly alone with his louder than usual thoughts. They may have spoken about their feelings, but they didn't say a word about what happened. While Jamie didn't really want to talk about it, he figured maybe it might make him feel better in some way. "Hey!" He called out before he talked himself out of it. "C'mon back out here, okay?" Mako must have heard the weird unsure tone to his voice because he was out a moment later. 

"What's eating you?" Jamie twisted his fingers under the water, trying to find the words to speak. Mako slipped back into the water then, even stepping further down into the deeper water. "Come here," he held his arms open for Jamie, who gladly swam into them. "You don't gotta talk about anything until you're ready. You're gonna be here until you decide you don't want to anymore," Jamie shook his head and looked up at him. 

"Not goin' anywhere mate, you're stuck with me till ya feel like getting' rid'a me," he cracked a grin and Mako rolled his eyes. His hand was smoothing Jamie's hair down, making him almost purr. "Feels real nice," he mumbled, nuzzling him carefully so he doesn't catch any scales on his skin. Mako chuckled under his breath and began to move backward so he could sit on the steps of the pool edge. 

"You're such a little freak," he hummed and Jamie smiled. The sentiment in his voice was enough to make him calm, enough to push away any kind of fear he had held. 

"I love ya too, beastie," Jamie closed his eyes and laid against him. Yeah. Real nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm alive! I'm so sorry for neglecting this story for so long! It was like one thing after another and now we are finally settled in and I'm actually able to write more! Thank you all for sticking with me, it means the world! Love you guys, I really hope you enjoyed this story! <3


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